Single-valve player mechanism.



W. A. WATSON.

SINGLE VALVE PLAYER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. ma.

1,142,863. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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W. A. WATSON.

SINGLE VALVE PLAYER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-5.1913.

1,142,863. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

gg I 6 l5? l /7 A3 /Z6 6 9 THE NORRIS PETERS 60., FHOTO LITHO, WASHINGTON. D, C

WILLIAM A. WATSON, 0F MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SINGLE-VALVE PLAYER MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed September 5, 1913. Serial No. 788,297.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. WATSON, a citizen of the United States, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Single-Valve Player Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valve structures for pneumatically controlled mechanisms and especially to what are known as singlevalve devices intended for use in connection with self-playing musical instruments, although the present invention is not limited thereto, but may be employed in connection with other than musical ones which employ devices actuated by pneumatics.

In mechanisms of'this character it is desirable, as will be readily understood, to restrict to the minimum the number of cubic inches of air that must be held under ten- It will be understood that any construction which enables a reduction of the capacity in the wind chest and shells will enable a corresponding reduction to be ob tained in the force necessary to be expended when operating the pumping pedal to obtain the maximum force of blow.

In carrying out my invention, I preferably make the wind chest and the connections therewith as far as possible, of metal, so that air can not leak therethrough. In some piano-player mechanisms there are no less than 524 cells and passageways. By making the cells and passageways of metal, and reducing to the minimum the capacity of the wind-chest and shells I provide a structure in which a minimum amount of atmosphere needs to be kept under tension.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide such a structure as above explained.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wind-chest and valve shell construction of such material and so made that possible leakage is reduced to the minimum.

To the above and further ends, the invention consists in the improvements which I shall now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of an instrument of the character described as is necessary to an understanding of my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of parts shown in Fig. 1 and showing '66 of Fig. 4.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a tracker box 10 contains and provides bearings for the rolls 11 of a perforated sheet such as the note sheet employed in selfplaying musical instruments. Said box supports also the tracker-bar 12, the rear portion of the box being shown as composed of trough-shaped metal sections 13. The box is supported by standards 14: rising from suitable frame brackets 15 which are preferably composed of two members at each end of the box, said two members being separably connected by screws or bolts 15, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The brackets 15 support one or more suction chambers 16, each comprising an elon gated seamless metal box or shell which is preferably square in cross-section. When there are two of such wind chests or suction chambers for the purpose or arranging the power pneumatics and other controlling mechanisms in two banks, the two chambers 16 will, of course, be connected at one or both ends, as is usual in such devices when arranged in banks, any suitable or preferred pumpin bellows being employed to produce a partia vacuum in the chambers 16.

The openings in the tracker-bar have short tapering metal tubes, as usual, extending rearwardly, said tubes being connected by curved tubes 17 usually of rubber, with tubes 17, and the latter are connected to tubes 18 (preferably by a coupling hereinafter described) the lower ends of the tubes 18 leading to the suction chambers 16, as hereinafter described. The tubes 17 and 18 pass through apertures in brackets 19, 20 hereinafter described. The front of each elongated box 16 or suction chamber is formed with a series of openings 21, preferably circular, as indicated in Fig. 1, the front wall of said box 16 being provided with a plurality of threaded pins 22, which project forwardly to receive securing nuts hereinafter described.

Removably secured to the front of the box 16 are the valve carriers, a portion of each extending from an opening 21 into a suction chamber. A description of one valve carrier will sui'lice for all. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, an angular bracket 23, 9a, constitutes the main frame of the valve carrier, said bracket supporting a cylindrical chamber 25, a port 26, in the bracket plate 2% communicating with the chamber 25. A short pipe or port 27 extends from the chamber 25 down through the bracket member 23. Extending rearwardly from the bracket member 24 are frame strips 28, the inner ends of which carry preferably integral therewith, a ring 29. Intermediate the bracket member 2a and the ring 29 is a spider-shaped guide 30 for the stem of the valve presently described. ldemovably fitted to the front end of the cylinder 25 is a cap 31 having an opening 32 crossed by a bridge strip 33 (Fig. 3;). Two valves 3a, 35 are carried by the valve stem 36, the valves 34-, 35, being adapted to alternately close the opening 32 and the port 26, respectively. The stem 36 is mounted to reciprocate in a small aperture in the bridge 33, and in the stem guide 30.

At the rear end of the valve carrier is a chamber 37 formed between a diaphragm 38 and a cap 39, the edge of the diaphragm being simply fitted over the annular wall of the cap 39, and then by being pushed into the ring 29, held clamped between said annular Wall and ring so that the chamber 37 is formed without the employment of any adhesive. When an adhesive is used to secure a flexible diaphragm, such adhesive is very liable to be accidentally spread over more or less of the area which is intended to yield, and then when dry it seriously interferes with the flexibility of the diaphra gm. The cap 39 has an aperture which is preferably centrally located, as indicated in Fig. 2, and secured to the outer face of said cover is a suitable packing washer 40, so that, when the valve carrier is in position in the suction chamber, the packing 40 will cause an airtight joint to be formed between the aperture of cap 39 and the end of tube 1.8 which projects into and is secured to the rear wall of the chamber 16.

The upright member 24; of the bracket is formed with edge notches 4-2 (Fig. 3) so that when a seri s of valve carriers are mounted as shown in Fig. l, with the edges of the several bracket members 2% in contact, said notches will provide apertures for the threaded pins 22. The valve carriers when so placed are secured in position by nuts l1 fitting the threaded pins 22.

Each chamber 25 connects, by means of port 27, with the power pneumatic 43 which is connected to the bracket member 23 by screws 44. Suitable packing 45 is confined between the bracket member 23 and the top of power pneumatic 43, and suitable packing 4-6 is confined between the bracket member 24- and the front face of the suction chamber 16, said packings of course, formed with openings as indicated in Fig. 2. Each power pneumatic 4:3has a projection or toe d7 connected by a link 48 with a capstan 49 for the usual piano action when the mechanism is used in connection with a selfplaying piano.

The upper ends of all of the tubes 18 are connected to a plate having a suitably supported flange 50, the ends of the tubes 18 being secured in apertures in the plate 51 in any suitable manner, as by brazing, if desired. A plate 52 "emovably connected to the plate 51 by screws 53 has apertures in which the lower ends of the tubes 17 are secured as by brazing. For this purpose, of course, the tubes 17 will be of metal, at least, those portions of the tube which are connected to the plate 52. Other portions of the tube 17 may be flexible, as of rubber.

A packing strip 5 f having ports, is confined between the plate 52-and top 51 of the box, so that there will be an air-tight joint between each tube 18 and its communicating tube 17. Owing to the fact that the coupling-plates 51, 52, are inclined forwardly and downwardly, the screws 58 which connect them are presented in such direction that they can be manipulated by a suitable tool inserted from the front of the mechanism when it is desired to remove parts for i.

examination or repairs. The flange is supported by the capstan rail 50. A particular reason for the separable coupling described is to enable the capstans 49 to be vertically adjusted in the usual manner, to properly and accurately actuate the wippens 58 of the piano action. W hen access is to be had to the capstans, the screws 58 and 15 are removed, and then the spool-box and the tubes 17, 17 removed, all as a unit, the plate 52 and the bracket 19 holding all the tubes 17 against liability of displacement or bending, ready for restoration of the coupling after adjustment of the capstans has been effected. Usually, there are eightyeight of the tubes 17 in one row. This structure also steadies the spindlebox in place so there can be little or no vibration, because the standards l l form front legs for the box and the rigidly held tubes 17 supported by the capstan rail 50 provide rear legs. As the tubes 18 are also supported by the capstan rail, and the bracket 20 secures to the power pneumatics is hung upon said tubes, the rear ends of said pneumatics are firmly supported. There are usually forty-four of the tubes 18 in each of the upper and lower rows or banks.

The tracker-bar 12 is provided with apertures 55, as usual, the note sheet and its perforations or slots coiiperating therewith, to admit air to the tubes 17, 18. I will now describe the structure illustrated whereby the air tension is restored in either or all of the tubes as soon as the note sheet closes the apertures 55. For this purpose, the trackerbar is formed with a small chamber 56 having a bleed port or vent 57, leading to each aperture 55, close to the entrance end thereof. The chamber 56 is connected by any suitable pipe or duct, not shown, with the vacuum mechanism employed so that the constant suction or air tension existing in the elongated chamber 56 will be communicated through the bleed ports or vents 57. The latter are so small as not to have any appreciable effect when the perforated note sheet causes any tube 17, 18 to be open to the atmosphere, but as soon as said sheet closes the entrance, end, the suction existing in chamber 56 restores the vacuum in the tubes and in the chamber 37 which had been opened to the atmosphere. Furthermore, this structure enables me to dispense with puncturing the diaphragm 38, or providing a vent in the conduits 17, 18.

One of the chief objections to the single valve pneumatic construction is, that the vent being located in the conduit or diaphragm in order to deflate it readily, is necessarily of such excessive size that it materially impairs its forward movement or power. and to overcome this, an extra forcing of the bellows becomes necessary, in order to draw in sufficient air to produce the forward movement of the valve. Consequently, the locating of the vent alongside of the opening of the conduit in the trackerbar permits the tube 17 to draw in its maximum amount of air under any tension, whether light or heavy, and inflate the diaphragm without employing the well known diaphra m or conduit vent or bleed just referred to, while it acts quickly and efiiciently in deflating the diaphragm and restoring the suction in the tube 17 when the blank portion of the paper covers the opening and the adjacent port 57 in the trackeroar.

Normally the movable parts are in the position indicated in the lower part of Fig. 2, the power pneumatic 43 being expanded. As soon as the perforated sheet moving over the tracker-bar permits atmospheric air to enter a tube 17, 19, the diaphragm 38 moves outwardly as in the upper illustration, (Fig. 2), so as to act upon the valve stem 36 to cause the valve 34 to close the opening or port 32. Instantly thevacuum or air tension in chamber 16 is transmitted to the selected chamber 25 and, acting through port 27, collapses the selected power pneumatic 43. The instant that the aperture in the note sheet which has caused this to happen has passed the aperture in the trackerbar so as to close the passageway or tube 17, 18, atmospheric pressure is cut off from the chamber 37 and atmospheric pressure against the outer face of valve 34 opens said valve and the air tension in chamber 16 causes the valve 35 to instantly seat and close port 26. Atmospheric air being thus admitted to the chamber 25, causes the power pneumatic to immediately expand and return to normal position. The quick returning action of the diaphragm 38, and the valves to normal position is aided by the bleed-ports or holes 57 hereinbefore described which permit a restoration of the vacuum or tension in the tube when said tube is cut 011' by the movement of the perforated sheet. It will be readily understood that if the parts which are inclosed within the chamber 16 were located outside of said chamber, the volume of air that would then have to be held under tension would be greatly increased. By placing this mechanism inside of the chamber, or in other words, submerging said mechanism in the fluid which is under tension, I greatly reduce the number of cubic inches of atmosphere that must be subjected to the vacuum in the suction chamber or wind-chest of the instrument, thereby securing a higher power or else a more easily controlled action of the pneumatic mechanism. Furthermore, since the parts are all of metal and many of them seamless, I reduce to the minimum the liability of leakage due either to the porosity of material or the necessity for providing glued or otherwise constructed joints.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I illustrate a construction slightly differing from that so far described. In said figures the suction chamber 116 is illustrated as formed of wood. but in this form also the chamber might be an elongated seamless shell or tube. Most of the parts illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are designated by reference numerals which are the same as in the other figures where the purpose is the same, but with the prefix of the numeral 1. For instance, the tube 118 in Fig. 4, is the same as the tube 18 in Fig. 2.

In the modification illustrated the bracket 123, 124 supports a cylindrical chamber 125 having a port 126 and av port 127, the latter communicating with the power pneumatic 143. Extending rearwardly from the bracket member 124 is a hollow arm 128 having a ring 129 at its inner end. The chamber 125 has a front cap 131 provided with an opening or port 1.32 crossed by a bridge 133. Valves 134, 135 are carried by a valve stem 136 having a cross arm 157 connected by links or small bars 158 with another cross arm 159. The hollow arm 1.28 carries two chambers 137, 137 having diaphragms 138, 138 The rearmost chamber 137 has a bottom 139 and the chamber 137 has a similar bottom. Ports 156 communicate with the space in the hollow arm 128 so that air pressure will be equal in the two chambers 137, 137 The object ofthis construction is to obtain a greater power for shifting the stem 136 and its valves, than could be obtained with but one of these small pneumatics as shown at 37 in Fig. 2. The cross arms 157, 159 connected by the links 158 cause the motion of both of the diaphragms of the two tandem pneumatics to be transmitted to the valve stem 136. The structure illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 possesses the same advantages resulting from the submerging of the pneumatic in the suction chamber or wind-chest as hereinbefore described. Screws 141 removably connect the bracket member 12.4: with the suction chamberI It will now be understood that in each form illustrated the entire train of elements which control the production of a single note may be removed from its normal position, as a unit, without altecting any other train of elements in the pneumatic instrument. This frequently has to be done for the purpose of examination or repairs. Either one of the train of elements can be independently removed so as to avoid any necessity of opening up the entire instrument. This reduces liability of interfering with the tightness of the instrument when parts have to be examined and repaired by inexperienced persons.

The tubes 18 in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the tubes 118 in the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1-, are ducts for independently controlling the diaphragms 38 or 138 and 138 of the valve actuating mechanisms.

I do not herein claim the structure of the sectional tubes with their couplings comprising the inclined plates 51, 52, nor the bracket supports 19, 20, for the sectional tubes, as the same form the subject matter of a divisional application filed by me June 29, 1914, Serial No. 17,796.

I claim:

1. In an instrument of the character described, a suction chamber, a plurality of power pneumatics, and a plurality of pneumatics for controlling said power pneumatics located within said suction chamber and bodily removable therefrom as independent units.

2. In an instrument of the character described, a suction chamber having a plurality of independently removable units connected therewith, each of said units including a valve and a pneumatic for actuating said valve, said pneumatic being located within the suction chamber, each unit being independently removable from the suction chamber without disturbing the relationship of its parts.

In an instrument of the character described, a suction chamber having an opening, a valve carrier removably mounted in said opening and having a valve-actuating pneumatic located within the suction chamber and removable therefrom with the carrier, a power pneumatic, and valve mechanism supported by said carrier for controlvalves, and an independent controlling duct,

for each of said mechanisms.

6. In an instrument of the character described, a suction chamber having a plurality of openings, a corresponding plurality of valve carriers mounted in said openings and having valve-actuating pneumatics within the suction chamber, power pneumatics, and valve mechanisms supported by said carriers for controlling the power pneumatics, said valve-actuating pneumatics being removable from the suction chamber, as units with their valve mechanisms.

7. In an instrument of the character described, a suction chamber having an opening, a valve-carrier removably mounted in said opening and having a valve-actuating pneumatic located Within the suction cham her and removable therefrom with the carrier, a tube connecting with said pneumatic through a wall of the suction chamber, a power pneumatic, and valve mechanism supported by said carrier for controlling the power pneumatics.

In testimony whereof I have ailiXed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. WATSON.

l/Vitnesses:

E. BA'roHELnnR,

P. W. PEZZETL Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of .Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

